


Rose: Get the mail

by Treekiddo



Series: Homestuck One-shots [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Drama, Family, Fanfiction, Homestuck - Freeform, Misunderstandings, Other, Passive aggressive warfare, Short Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 11:59:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10898925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Treekiddo/pseuds/Treekiddo
Summary: It's the day of the beta, and Rose is waiting.





	Rose: Get the mail

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Puffinhazamuffin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Puffinhazamuffin/gifts).



Darkness. Horror. Insanity. That was all Rose saw around her. The beautiful bright flowers had become twisted, lifeless brambles with thorns. She awoke from her nightmare. Rose shifted uncomfortably on the tree branch. She had been waiting there for what had felt like days, but was probably only an hour at most. Once again, she cursed her broken watch. Rose stared up at the sky. The bright blue skies had become consumed by darkness as rain poured from the clouds. She had neglected to check if it was waterproof on the initial purchase, and the endless torrent of rain had taken its toll on the watch, just as it continued to take its toll on her spirits. She gripped the branch above her with her hands, trying to climb above to get a better view. She didn't dare let her mother find out about the watch, of course - otherwise, she would passive aggressively buy her some $6,000 masterpiece of engineering that could survive a comet impact, all the while apologizing for her laxness in buying such a poor quality watch. She had done this. Listening for the places where the world's fabric was weak, listening to the siren's songs of the other layers that had seemed so sweet all the time. Rose would never let her mother get the better of her like that. 

It was so sweet she had wanted to follow them, to peel back the layers of the world around her. But she was met with only darkness and things out of nightmares. Once again, she refocused on the bright red mailbox, still lowered. If she was successful, it would stay that way. She risked a glance at the street. Still, she had persevered. Still she continued, pressing forth, everting her world still further, even where a small part of her simple mind told her that it was wrong, that she shouldn't. Still no sign of the mailman. It had to come today, she was sure of it. After she had made a discreet note on the calendar, her mother had circled the date multiple times in bright neon colors to make sure she would not forget, then repeated the gesture on all the calendars in the house, as well as the dozen extra new ones she had bought to place on every available wall.

But her thoughts would soon have to be silenced. She had to keep going with this plan. She had to get the mail. That was her goal, and that was what she would try to do, until she had finished her quest. She didn't actually care that much about the game, of course. Mostly, she was just curious what Jade had meant back then. Some stupid make-believe nonsense. She imagined the game would be easy to win. Perhaps the game is very short. That would be it, one level then the final step of the journey. A simple and small game. Jade was always sentimental and imaginative like that. Obviously, nothing could really bring back the dead, and it wasn't like she had anything she wanted to bring back all that much. The mailman would come within the next few minutes, Rose was sure of it. She would be able to get this game, needing only to get the package and everything would be over...But, she really didn't need the game that badly. She was just curious what craziness Jade had meant, for psychological reasons. And, of course, John was totally obsessed with playing it, so she would have to play along, for the sake of friendship.

She stared up at the sky, and was nearly blinded by the sudden brightness. She screwed her eyes shut, then slowly opened them. But what if her mother got to the mail first...?

That was wrong. Impossible. The sky that had once been pouring had seemed to clear up. The darkness or rain did not reign here. She shuddered at the thought of her mother getting the mail first. The moment the mail flag went up, her mother would materialize next to it, no doubt with lemonade in hand (for some reason, the mailman never seemed to recognize the depth of her passive-aggressive snub, and seemed to appreciate the beverage), and snatch up the precious cargo to save her daughter the effort. The weather had change so quickly, so strangely. But that's not possible. I was just in the rain...Rose did not pursue the thought. She did not want to. She knew it was impossible, but she did not question it. She kept thinking what would happen if her mother would get the mail. The horror. It would, of course, be delivered directly to her room, no doubt with a plate of cookies and a glass of spiked milk for her enjoyment. She so desperately wanted to return to her room, to cast off the horrible memories of it behind her. This she was used to. At least her mother had yet to offer her a pony during these typical exchanges.

She would often think or question in situations like this. Her mind was not as simple as your average teenager, but she did have to follow her mother's rule which irritated her. If her mother gets the package first then victory will be hers. No, victory would go to Rose today. Her keen ears picked up the sound of an approaching van over the sound of rushing water. She watched it pull into the driveway. It was only the course of her wait that she had truly began to think, now her head started pounding and she felt as if she would faint from all the pressure. She wondered if she should just go back and run to her house. The mailman stepped out, bag at his shoulder, and walked obliviously under the tree limb. Locking her legs around it, she dropped like a ninja, her skilled hands darting into the mass of paper, snagging the pair of brown envelopes, as well as the other mail addressed to them, that she would deliver personally to her mother, explaining that she couldn't bear the thought of her beloved parent venturing out in the puddles of rain. "Hello, mail. I see you've arrived." Rose whispered, smiling. That'd show her.


End file.
